Chronic back pain is not something that happens when you worked out too hard at the gym. It is not because you shoveled snow or worked in the garden too long. That pain is legitimate but goes away after a few days from when you stop doing the thing that caused it.

Chronic back pain is caused by injuries, developmental issues, bad posture for extended lengths of time, age, nerve issues and extended lack of movement.

I have chronic back pain for more than one reason. I have slipped discs in my lower spine because I failed to land a cartwheel on cement my freshman year of high school. I have positional scoliosis because my muscles are pulling my thoracic spine to the right and I have multiple herniated discs in my cervical spine.

In addition to the issues with the structure of the spine I am hyper-mobile which means when I make movements my ligaments over stretch and then cause the muscles to tighten in the area as if it were an injury. Due to reaction from my body, massage is not something that works very well for my pain.

Taking over the counter pain medications can help minor pain, though I have to be careful because of all the medications I currently take. Physical therapy, hydro-therapy, yoga, pain gel, ice, heat, stretching, acupressure, acupuncture and chiropractic treatment are all things I have tried. Some help certain issues and others do not.

When the pain is significant every movement causes painful vibrations in the vertebrae, driving over bumps and walking can be extremely painful. On good days it’s a constant, dull pain that never relents. That is chronic back pain.

Find more information:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/back-pain/basics/causes/sym-20050878

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007422.htm

https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/lower-back-pain/lower-back-pain-symptoms

https://www.wikihow.com/Help-Someone-With-Chronic-Back-Pain

https://www.drugs.com/cg/chronic-back-pain.html